Gez
First Post
Here's a little creative game: Take an evil D&D monster (I think we're better avoiding outsiders, ooze, and undead; as well as anything bigger than Large) and create a good-aligned, kind version of it. Detail it, why it is nice conrtarily to its evil counterpart, how they relate to the evil ones, how did they came into being, and so on. Ideally, make it a potentially playable character race.
I'll give an example with the medusa.
Innocent Medusa
Medium-size Monstrous Humanoid (Reptilian)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares, 9 meters)
Armor Class: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural); Touch 12; Flat-Footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+1
Single Attack: Shortbow +4 ranged (20x3, 1d6-1 piercing); or snakes +4 melee (20x2, 1d4-1 piercing and poison)
Full Attack: Shortbow +4 ranged (20x3, 1d6-1 piercing); or snakes +4 melee (20x2, 1d4-1 piercing and poison)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attack: Poison (Fort DC 14: +1 HD, +3 Cha)
Special Quality: Stonekiss
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 17
Skills: Animal Empathy +8*, Disguise +8, Move Silently +7
Feats: Great Fortitude, Weapon Finesse: Snakes (B)
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Environment: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or covey (1-4, plus 3-12 medusa [MM p.131] and 1 greater medusa [ToH p.190])
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Double coins, triple goods, no items
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
Age Categories: 12 (+1d4/+1d6/+2d4) /60/120/400/+2d%
Height & Weight: 4'2" +2d8 / 70 x1d6
Favored Class: Sorcerer
Once upon a time, a young maiden named Medusa was so beautiful she inadvertantly awoke the lust of a careless god. He pursued Medusa, who tried to hide in the temple of an irritable goddess. Uncaring, the god caught her there and raped her. Unable to punish the god for that affront, the goddess exerced her wrath at the unfortunate girl; and Medusa was cursed with a monstrous appearance. Her smooth skin becames scaly, her magnificent hair turned into venomous snakes, and her formerly-beautiful eyes became so awful her gaze turned to stone those who looked at her. Overcame with anger and sorrows, Medusa left the civilized world and flee in the desert.
Eventually, she was slain, and it is said the monsters named medusae sprang from her blood.
From their mythical mother, they inherited a strong resentment toward men and their gods.
However, a rare number of medusae are born closer to the Medusa of before the tragedy than the monster she became.
Innocent medusae are smaller and lither than their more well-known brethren. Their skin is human-like on the front part of their body, face, palm of hands, etc.; but covered with fine scales on the back of their body. Their snakes are calmer than that of other medusae, and usually at rest.
But it's mentally that innocent medusae are the most different of their brethren. Kind, gentle, frightened by violence; and also joyous, curious, and eager to socialize with outsiders.
Other medusae see them like one would see a naïve little sister, someone too nice for being exposed to the harsh, cruel outside world. They are thus extremely protective of them, and usually seclude them "for their protection".
Combat
Innocent medusae practice archery as a sport, but may use it in combat also. If the fight close to melee, they'll try to use their poisonous snakes, and then buy time in full defense, until the poison has weakened enough the opponents to flee safely.
Poison (Ex): Fortitude DC 14. Special/Unconscious. If the first save is failed, no effect is felt on the first round. On the three following rounds, the victim suffer a -1 penalty on all attack and damage rolls, and all skills and ability checks. On the three following rounds, the victim is then fatigued. On the three following round, the victim is dazed. If the save is successful, the victim merely suffer a -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls and skills and ability checks from round 4 to 10. If the second save is failed, the victim fall unconscious for 1d6 hours. If it is successful, the victim is however fatigued.
When the poison result in the victim becoming fatigued, if already fatigued, the victim becomes exhausted instead. If already exhausted, the victim fall unconscious for 1d6 hours.
[Note: I like poisons to play on status condition. But as a variant, you may replace that by the standard medusa poison: initial damage: 1d4 temporary Strength, secondary damage: 2d4 temporary Strength.]
Stonekiss (Sp): As a full-round action, an innocent medusa may kiss a character to give him benefits similar to a stoneskin spell, with a caster level equal to the medusa's HD. That effect is then sustained by the medusa's gaze -- if line of sight is lost, or if either the medusa or the recipient becomes blinded, dazzled, invisible, unconscious, or dead, the effect stops.
Skills: Innocent medusae gains a +4 racial bonus to Animal Empathy with regard to reptilian animals.
Feats: Innocent medusae gains Weapon Finesse: Snakes for free. This works like the Weapon Finesse feat, except that it applies only to the medusa's snake attack -- the medusa don't benefit from special combat training with weapons.
I'll give an example with the medusa.
Innocent Medusa
Medium-size Monstrous Humanoid (Reptilian)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares, 9 meters)
Armor Class: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural); Touch 12; Flat-Footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+1
Single Attack: Shortbow +4 ranged (20x3, 1d6-1 piercing); or snakes +4 melee (20x2, 1d4-1 piercing and poison)
Full Attack: Shortbow +4 ranged (20x3, 1d6-1 piercing); or snakes +4 melee (20x2, 1d4-1 piercing and poison)
Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attack: Poison (Fort DC 14: +1 HD, +3 Cha)
Special Quality: Stonekiss
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 17
Skills: Animal Empathy +8*, Disguise +8, Move Silently +7
Feats: Great Fortitude, Weapon Finesse: Snakes (B)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environment: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or covey (1-4, plus 3-12 medusa [MM p.131] and 1 greater medusa [ToH p.190])
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Double coins, triple goods, no items
Alignment: Usually neutral good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
Age Categories: 12 (+1d4/+1d6/+2d4) /60/120/400/+2d%
Height & Weight: 4'2" +2d8 / 70 x1d6
Favored Class: Sorcerer
Once upon a time, a young maiden named Medusa was so beautiful she inadvertantly awoke the lust of a careless god. He pursued Medusa, who tried to hide in the temple of an irritable goddess. Uncaring, the god caught her there and raped her. Unable to punish the god for that affront, the goddess exerced her wrath at the unfortunate girl; and Medusa was cursed with a monstrous appearance. Her smooth skin becames scaly, her magnificent hair turned into venomous snakes, and her formerly-beautiful eyes became so awful her gaze turned to stone those who looked at her. Overcame with anger and sorrows, Medusa left the civilized world and flee in the desert.
Eventually, she was slain, and it is said the monsters named medusae sprang from her blood.
From their mythical mother, they inherited a strong resentment toward men and their gods.
However, a rare number of medusae are born closer to the Medusa of before the tragedy than the monster she became.
Innocent medusae are smaller and lither than their more well-known brethren. Their skin is human-like on the front part of their body, face, palm of hands, etc.; but covered with fine scales on the back of their body. Their snakes are calmer than that of other medusae, and usually at rest.
But it's mentally that innocent medusae are the most different of their brethren. Kind, gentle, frightened by violence; and also joyous, curious, and eager to socialize with outsiders.
Other medusae see them like one would see a naïve little sister, someone too nice for being exposed to the harsh, cruel outside world. They are thus extremely protective of them, and usually seclude them "for their protection".
Combat
Innocent medusae practice archery as a sport, but may use it in combat also. If the fight close to melee, they'll try to use their poisonous snakes, and then buy time in full defense, until the poison has weakened enough the opponents to flee safely.
Poison (Ex): Fortitude DC 14. Special/Unconscious. If the first save is failed, no effect is felt on the first round. On the three following rounds, the victim suffer a -1 penalty on all attack and damage rolls, and all skills and ability checks. On the three following rounds, the victim is then fatigued. On the three following round, the victim is dazed. If the save is successful, the victim merely suffer a -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls and skills and ability checks from round 4 to 10. If the second save is failed, the victim fall unconscious for 1d6 hours. If it is successful, the victim is however fatigued.
When the poison result in the victim becoming fatigued, if already fatigued, the victim becomes exhausted instead. If already exhausted, the victim fall unconscious for 1d6 hours.
[Note: I like poisons to play on status condition. But as a variant, you may replace that by the standard medusa poison: initial damage: 1d4 temporary Strength, secondary damage: 2d4 temporary Strength.]
Stonekiss (Sp): As a full-round action, an innocent medusa may kiss a character to give him benefits similar to a stoneskin spell, with a caster level equal to the medusa's HD. That effect is then sustained by the medusa's gaze -- if line of sight is lost, or if either the medusa or the recipient becomes blinded, dazzled, invisible, unconscious, or dead, the effect stops.
Skills: Innocent medusae gains a +4 racial bonus to Animal Empathy with regard to reptilian animals.
Feats: Innocent medusae gains Weapon Finesse: Snakes for free. This works like the Weapon Finesse feat, except that it applies only to the medusa's snake attack -- the medusa don't benefit from special combat training with weapons.
